An Outline For Teaching Conservation In High Schools Pa-201

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PREFACE

-tins IS ONI! of two outlines prepared in the l!.l, .cation See.. on ol Hu- Sod

viition Service at .he request of educulors from various rcgu.ns oi d.e count, y. m
a. other is "An Outline For Teaching Conservation .« the hlen.en.ary C.racle...
objective is It. furnish some broad outlines that can be used by State, county, and tnt c-
nemlent school systems as general guides in drawing up leaching plans.

Many publications issued by State departments of education, teachers colleges, and oil.
institutions were drawn upon freely in compiling these outlines. 1 he outlines, which we. c
reviewed by educators from several sections of the United States, apply generally to the con-
dhZ : most commonly found throughout the country. Wtth conservatton pro bans ami
educational systems varying greatly over the Nation, however, teachers will want tcv.se,

rxnuntl ancl adapt the outlines to local conditions.

The problem of conservation of natural resources is too important to coming generations

,0 b bvpas d by any students. This outline, therefore, has been organ, act! tn a lorn, whn
‘viU permit the teaeddng of conservation to the greatest number ol students; namely, by
interweaving the subject with the physical and social sciences commonly taught m Amo. u.
high schools. Conservation of natural resources is closely related to these other st.cntu.
In fact, wise use of natural resources is an integral part of these science. <

front a practical point of view. . . , , ......

Probably more students can be reached through this method than by pu- ••••;.. '

ration as a separate course. A special course in conservation tn most high schools,

rural areas, probably would have limited enrollment. , . , .

' Not all the possibilities of integrating conservation tnto the related sub|eus hate l eu
explored but most of the obvious relationships between current subject mallei and const
ration are pointed out. The entire field of natural resources is touched, wtth emphasis on
soil and water because they are the basic resources that support life. ...

Conservation concepts brought out in each school subject are arranged under three mat
headings — Objectives; Topics for Study or Discussion; and Suggested Activities.

Each 8 subjcct is discussed and outlined separately. '1 here is some chip hcation in ihc c ■
servation concepts and the "topics for study or discussion” listed under the vai urns subjects.
There is necessarily an overlapping of subject matter in these subjects.

Additional space has been provided for "Notes” at the end of each subject discussion lb,
the teacher’s use in expanding the outlines of study topics and lists of act. vines, listing
references, and such other special uses as will assist him in presentation ol the subject
For reference purposes for the use of teachers and students, each high school library should
include some or all of the books, bulletins, and other writings on conservation that have
been issued in recent years. A selected bibliography on soil and water conservatton is
included in "Books, Booklets, and Bulletins on Soil and Water Conservation pi.bbshed in
September 1951 by the Soil Conservation Service as Agriculture Information Bulletin No.
63. Movies, charts, and other visual aids are also useful teaching material.

This outline offers suggestions only. In practice it will be desirable to localize the con-
servation education problem, with each State or community making us own plans. I lie
important thing is that public schools take on the responsibility of making our youth into
conservationists, lest our young people continue to make the same mistakes their elders
have made, and at much greater danger to their welfare.

AN OUTLINE FOR TEACHING CONSERVATION IN HIGH SCHOOLS

CONTENTS

Icncni! science :mcl conservation

iology am! conscrvai ion

hemistry and conservation

hysics ami conservation

hysica! geography ami conservation

conoiuic geography ami conservation

olidcal geography ami conservation

conomics anti conservation

Ustory anil conservation

iovernnient and conservation

acial science and conservation

Mnes tie science and conservation

lygieiic and conservation. . .

nglisli and public speaking on conservation

at and conservation

ladicmatics in conservation

Iiopwork and conservation

Patfc

2

4

6

7

8
9

10

11

12

13

14
13
16

17

18
19
21

GENERAL SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION

The physical sciences grew out of man’s use of natural
sources and his curiosity about the natural laws govern-
g these resources. A study of the natural resources and
eir conservation involves biology, chemistry, and physics,
well as the social sciences. Since the relationship of
ch of these to conservation will be considered in greater
:tail elsewhere in this outline, the present study will be
nitecl to developing an acquaintance with the resources
d their simpler relations to the sciences in general.

Air, sunlight, rainfall, and soil are the natural resources
at come to mind Erst since they are found all over the
ce of the earth and are necessary to all of the higher
mis of life. Other resources important to man are trees,
asses, legumes, other herbaceous plants, song and game
rds, game and fur-bearing animals, domestic animals,
h, and other aquatic life.

In man’s progress through history he has discovered
her natural resources in the earth and has learned to
ake use of them. Among these are coal, petroleum,
tural gas, metals, building stone, and minerals used for
mmercial fertilizers and other purposes.

These latter resources have always been present upon
e earth but have been discovered at various times under
e dual spur of man’s need and his curiosity about his
r roundings. Copper, gold, silver, iron, and coal were
lovvn and used to a limited extent by some early civil i-
tions. Petroleum, natural gas, and many of the metals
d other minerals have been discovered more recently,
teir important use coincides largely with the coming of
dustry and the industrial revolution. The use of most
them has increased greatly in recent years, and exhaus-
»n of the known supplies of some of these resources is
rcatened. It is impossible to predict how long some of
em will last, because the location and extent of all
posits is not fully known. New deposits are still being
scoverccl in the United States, and little is known about
eir occurrence in many other countries. There is great
nation in quality and ease of extraction for many
sources. Easily accessible supplies of high quality are
ed first. The discovery of cheap methods of extracting
w-grade deposits will prolong the supply of some metals
d other minerals.

Of importance equal to or greater than finding new
mmercial processes for the recovery and utilization of
tural resources is the conservation of known sources of
ese materials through reducing the waste in extraction,
ocessing, distribution, and use. Important also are the
Waging and reuse of metals, the substitution of more
entiful materials where possible, and better use of our
iter facilities for power. Atomic energy holds promise
some day furnishing some of our power.

Nature took care of her resources until man threw her
>rk out of balance. Most virgin soils were fertile and
■re protected against erosion by a covering of trees and
ter vegetation. Plants grew wherever temperature,
fisture, and soil conditions permitted. Animals
rived where food and shelter were sufficient. The flow

of rivers, streams, and springs was more constant the ye
round, and the water was not contaminated by
trial and other wastes. Nature’s methods were successf.
because natural laws had free play and the forces of natu-
balanced each other.

The organic resources are dependent upon soil ai
water. The principal natural factors limiting their pj;
duction are the amount of fertile land and proper mobtu;
conditions. Consequently, these factors also tend to lin
the ultimate world population. Much of the product!,
and potentially productive land has been iinpaire
through ignorance, exploitation, and mistnanageiner
Man has also wasted many of the resources produced r
the land and, in so doing, has accelerated soil depletio
These conditions, together with the growing populate
force upon our attention the need for conserving our n;
ural resources and, so far as possible, repairing the dama'
already done.

A great deal of science has been applied to the bro
field of agriculture during the past century. Soil ches
istry has done much to maintain soil fertility. Throu;
genetics and plant and animal physiology, great impro-'
ments have been made in plants and domestic anims
Many farms have been mechanized. The result is tl
in many places two blades of grass now grow where c
grew before; average per-acre crop yields have been r
terially increased; new strains of plants and fruits h;
been produced; and farm animals with highly desira
characteristics have been developed.

While agricultural science has progressed over a c
siderable period of time, soil and water conservation
been virtually ignored. With few exceptions, the sa
applies to forest, range, and wildlife conservation. O
in recent years has interest in the conservation of natu
resources become strong enough to give rise to actii
The establishment of soil conservation experiment static
in 1929 and of the Soil Conservation Service in 1935 , 1
lowed soon afterward by farmer-operated soil conservati
districts, gave real impetus to the soil and water cons
vation movement. Through research and supervised
perience with the resources, conservation practices lx
been developed and have proved successful through vv
application.

Today there is an applied science of conservation. T
recognized practices are based on natural laws and :
entific principles. The integration of conservation w
a course in general science offers an excellent opportiu:
to learn the principles and practices of conservation.

Objectives

To develop a consciousness of the need for the cons
vation and rehabilitation of natural resources.

To study the natural laws and scientific principles gove
ing the various natural resources.

To acquire a working knowledge of the science
conservation.

2

Topics for Sillily or Discussion

Tin' natural resource s: ( ’lassilicatioii ami importance;
dependence ol man and civilized m ui<-| y upon natural
resources.

Organic resmin ex and their ocem inter: Plants and ani-
mals; their nailin', dependence upon each oilier, and
their pmdiu'ls.

Depletion and waste of inorganic resources.

Conservation ol inorganic rcsniines.

Depletion and waste ol soil and water.

Conservation of soil and water: The recognized soil and
water eonser vat ion praelier;; and how they accomplish
their results.

Depletion, waste, and destruction ol range lands, lorests,
and woodlands.

Consrrval ion ol range lands, loresl, and woodlands.

Depletion and destruelion ol wildlife.

Conservation ol wihllile.

Some recent discoveries ol science in the use and manage-
ment ol natural resources.

Farm chrmmgy: New products developed from waste
products ol the lann.

The use ol’ industrial waste products.

Some new methods ol extracting or refining minerals;
e. g., magnesium I mm sea water.

Substitutes that have been developed for critical resources.

The need lor trace elements in the soil to aid plant and
animal development.

Obtaining maximum use ol resources while protecting
them and maintaining their productivity.

Increased yields ol; [arm crops through conservation
(arming.

Increased yields from ranges and forests through con-
servation practices.

Increased value of water and wildlife resources through
conservation practices.

Suggested Activities

Field trips to study soil erosion; water problems; forest,
range, and wildlife waste and destruction.

Field trips to study soil, water, forest, range, and wildlife
conservation practices.

I Jiscuss tlu: interrelationship between the organic resources.

I.ist the natural laws that operate in soil-erosion and water
problems, and describe, their action.

List and describe the scientific principles employed in the
various conservation practices.

Fist possible substitutes for the mineral fuels and some
ol the metals.

Notes

BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

The conservation of soil, water, forest, grassland, and
wildlife resources is largely a biological problem. Man
must use these resources in order to exist. And because
of this dependence upon natural resources, man is also
forced to conserve them as he uses them, in order to
assure his own continued existence upon the earth.

Soil, water, and life arc so closely related that they can
hardly be studied separately. Soil, itself, is a living thing;
it is teeming with life. It is the basic resource that sup-
ports all land life. The value of soil to man, animals, and
plants, however, depends largely on the amount of organic
matter and living organisms in it. Soil without organic
matter and life is sterile and unproductive.

Most of the organic matter and the living organisms in
the ground arc in the topsoil. That is why topsoil is the
most important resource of the earth. Nature worked
thousands of years to build up the organic matter and life
in the topsoil of the earth. Today all land life depends
on this topsoil.

The soil is the most important direct source of the min-
erals needed by growing plants. Although these minerals
comprise only a small part of the food used by plants, that
part is essential. Without them, no plant can use the
large amounts of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, anil hydrogen
that it takes from the air and water and the energy it
gets from the sun to make organic matter from inorganic
matter. Without this process of photosynthesis, all higher
forms of life cease to exist.

Water is necessary to all life. Its physical action was
probably the biggest factor in creating soil from the rocky
crust of the earth. Water has many uses besides its value
in supporting life. It loses most of its value to man and
other living things, however, when it is not properly used
and controlled. If improperly managed, it may destroy
both life and the soil which it helped to form.

The water of most value to man and other living things
is that which soaks into the ground where it falls as rain
or snow. It feeds the plant life of the world, replenishes
the underground water and causes springs to flow.
Streams fed by water that has been filtered through the
soil flow clear the year round.

The water most destructive to life is that which falls
on the ground and runs off immediately. This water
takes with it the life-supporting part of the soil, causes
floods, and pollutes streams and lakes with mud and
sand, killing much of the aquatic life.

Man depends upon the soil and water resources of the
earth for all of his food, a considerable part of his shelter,
most of his clothing and many of his other needed fibers,
and much of the fuel and power he uses. But, important
as these resources are, they have been and arc being
depleted and wasted.

Civilized man has lost, often in a few generations, a
large part of the soil, water, plant, and animal resources
that he inherited from nature. During recent years he
has depleted these resources faster than ever before.
There are virtually no new frontiers of great masses of
unused land readily available for agricultural develop-

ment. Yet populations continue to increase all over the
world. We can’t continue to feed more tint! more people
on less (inil less. Man must plan his luturc on the basis
of wise use of the available natural resources if he is to
live and prosper.

Man-induced soil erosion is one. of the greatest threats
to future civilization, (l removes topsoil and often leaves
the land sterile. Erosion pollutes and depletes the usable
water resources. It leaves an environment that will sup-
port only a small number of inferior species nl plants ntul
animals. Forests, grasslands, and wildlife can be replaced
after a while if the land keeps its topsoil; lint topsoil can
be replaced on eroded land only through decades or
generations of human endeavor. It. may take centuries
for nature unaided to build back the soil.

Conservation is not hoarding. It is a way of using
natural resources for maximum production while pro-
tecting the capital assets for future use.

Conservation practices for soil, water, forests, grass-
lands, and wildlife are largely interdependent. There i:
no way to conserve soil and water without affecting some
or all of the other resources. All land life is dependent
upon soil and water. The living things supported hj
the soil in turn play a major rule in conserving the soil
and keeping it productive. Tims there is a natural
balance in nature.

The conservation of natural resources is man’s attempt
to restore and preserve that balance, and to abide hj
nature’s laws as closely as possible in using the resources,
The biologic aspects of the broad conservation program
designed to achieve these results may he summed uj:
briefly under three basic principles: (T) To use the land
to produce only those plants and animals for which it is
adapted; (2) to get more rainfall intis the ground and to
control that which runs oil; and (3) to use, protect, and
care for those species of plants and animals that are most
beneficial to man and to the land. Following are some
objectives and topics for study and discussion that indicate
ways by which conservation may he integrated into the
study of biology.

Objectives

To develop an understanding of the interdependence ol
all plant and animal life and their dependence on soi'
and water,

To develop an appreciation of the dependence of man upot
the natural resources of the earth.

To show that civilized man has wasted or depleted tin
resources of nature.

To study soil erosion and its effects on water resources
plant and animal life, and on man.

To teach that the soil, water, plant, and animal resource!

can he conserved while being used.

To develop an understanding that conservation practice:
for soil, water, forests, grassland, and wildlife an
closely interdependent and are, thus, parts of on<
broad conservation program.

4

To sunly sonic methods nl conserving llu* soil, water, for-
ests, grassland, and wiitllile resources ihrough the
applicalimi of biological processes.

Topics for Study or Discussion

The formation and com posit ion of soil and the differences
between soils.

The water resources of the earth and their relation to soil
and to life.

The interdependence of plants and animals, soil, and
water.

Man’s dependence upon soil and water.

The waste and depletion of natural resources.

Soil erosion, its causes and effects.

The conservation of natural resources; wise use, and the
pait that biology plays in the conservation program.

Suggested Activities

Make a held trip to study the relation of natural vegeta-
tion and wildlife to their environment.

Make a cross-reference chart showing the different ways
in which soil, water, plants and animals, and man
depend on each other.

Make a field trip to study soil erosion and water loss.

Make a field trip to a I arm where a complete conservation
farming program is being followed. Have the fanner
or a conservationist explain the different conservation
practices.

Notes

5

CHEMISTRY AND SOIL CONSERVATION

Chemistry is important to modern agriculture, heme
to all modern life. Soil chemistry is a vital phase ol the
general subject because hie itself depends upon it.

The most important chemical reaction in the world
is that which occurs in the green leal ol a plant during
photosynthesis. This is the beginning of all plant lilt-.
Here is the first place where nonliving matter is changed
to living tissue and food. The nonliving materials come
from soil, water, and air. A plant contains only small
quantities of soil minerals, hut must have them in order
to use the larger quantities of carbon, oxygen, and hydro-
gen that it gets from the air and water to manufacture
organic matter.

A deficiency of any essential mineral element in the soil
will lower the ability of that soil to produce food and
fiber for man. The food value of plants varies with their
chemical content, The deficiency of certain key materials
in the soil will not only lower production hut will also
lessen the food value of plants grown on that soil, because
the composition of plants varies according to the com-
position of the soil on which they are grown.

The amount of organic matter present may lie even
more important in most soils than the mineral content of
the soil. Much of die natural soil nitrogen, a vital element
in plant growth, is contained in the organic matter. The
organic acids of a soil usually have considerable effect on
the solubility of soil minerals, thus affecting the avail-
ability of the minerals for plant use.

Most of the organic matter and a large part ol the
soluble minerals are contained in the topsoil. That is
why the topsoil is so important to plant growth. Erosion
removes the topsoil first and thus immediately and seri-
ously affects the productive capacity of the soil.

Following arc some objectives and topics for study in
integrating conservation into chemistry.

Objectives

To study the chemistry of soil and plants.

To slmw that minerals that come Irum ihr soil arc needed
in the loimaiinn ul organic mailer.

To determine some elicits ol soil nutrients on the plants,
animals, amt people who gel their lood I mm the soil, •

To show that soil erosion seriously impairs the fertility () [
the soil.

To study some of the tluinit.il processes involved in the'
conservation ol soil, water, and plants.

'Topics for Study or Discussion

The chemistry ol soils and plants.

The manufacture ol organic mailer I mm inorganic matter.

Some el feels of soil composition on the mil i il ion ol plants,,
animals, and people. \

Some ef lei Is o| soil erosion on soil lei I ilil y .

Some chemistry problems in the i (insert. u ion of soil,
water, and plants.

S ii i»es led Ac t i v i t i os

Test some soil samples ol the coinmimiiy lor organii
mailer, available phosphorous, potassium, calcium
and other plain miirienis. Use a quick commercin’
test. Compare samples ol topsoil and subsoil, virgir
soil and eroded soil, garden soil and held soil, virgif
soil anil lieltl soil, and soils ol dillerent origin.

Test samples of commercial In I ili/.n lor plain nutrient!;
Test samples ol barnyard manure lor organic mallei;
and plant nutrients.

Submit samples of important types ol soil in your com!
mimity (n a Stale laboratory for analysis ol available
plant nutrient content.

Test some soils of your eoimmmity for acidity 01
alkalinity. Determine the amount ol lime needed u?
correct acidity in the samples tested.

Make a lield trip to determine soil improving, practice;'
used in your soil conservation district.

Notes

6

PHYSICS AND CONSERVATION

lovemcnt of soil and water is governed by the
aws that function in all mol ion on the earth.
i, man has ignored these laws in his management
cl water with the result that soil erosion has been
rd, floods have increased, and losses have mounted
petty destruction.

\vs and principles of gravity, friction, velocity,
on, inertia, surface tension, cohesion, adhesion,
absorption, suspension, osmosis, capillarity, and
on arc the principal factors that influence the
behavior of soil and water. These are also the
iws and principles that we must use iu conserving
vater.

tical study of physics might well he based upon
ration of natural laws to the soil, water, and plant
we wish to conserve. A study of the physical
; of soils should not: he out of place in the physics
The normal behavior of soil and water should he
ecausc of its importance to all life,
ing are some objectives, topics for study or dis-
iid activities to assist the physics teacher in inte-
onservation principles into the study of physics.

.Objectives

some laws, principles, and theories of physics
ey apply to the soil, water, and plant resources
e community.

some physical properties of soils and the relation
ecu these properties and the credibility and pro-
vity of soils.

that destructive soil erosion and the waste of
•a! resources has been brought about by man’s
gartl of physical laws.

To show that conservation practices are man’s efforts to
cooperate with nature so he can use the resources of
nature without abusing or depleting them.

Topics for Study or Discussion

The conversion of energy from the sun into organic matter
through photosynthesis. The necessity for plants to
have the minerals and water from the soil for this
process.

How energy is wasted through lack of conservation prac-
tices.

Some physical properties of soils and their relation to each
other.

How man's violation of natural laws has resulted in ac-
celerated erosion and waste of all natural resources.

The functioning of physical laws iu soil and water con-
servation practices.

Suggested Activities

Test different types of soil for water-absorbing and water-
holding capacity.

Test different types of soil for rate of capillary water
movement.

Test different soils for texture; separate the clay, silt, and
sand particles with sieves or a centrifuge machine.
Also separate organic matter in the same way.

Test different types of soil for adhesion. Determine effect
of organic matter and si/e of soil particles on adhesion.

Demonstrate the shuttering power of raindrop impact upon
various soils.

Demonstrate the soil-carrying capacity of water flowing
at different velocities.

Notes

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND CONSERVATION

Soil and water, die life they support, the minerals used
by man, and the climate largely determine man s physical
existence and activities in various regions of the world.

Soil and water arc the most important physical features
of the land. They help to support all forms of life. The
land produces according to its richness and the amount of
water it gets. Mineral’s that are mined from the earth
arc important to industry and commerce and to modern
man’s way of life, but modern man knows how to find
substitutes for some of the scarcer minerals, and the pos-
sibilities for the substitutes arc growing daily. Man has
not yet found practical substitutes lor soil and water and
he is faced with the proposition that he may never find
them.

Lands may deteriorate or improve with use, for not all
lands are alike. Soils vary in depth, capacity for taking
and holding water, fertility, and ability to resist erosion,
'fhc slope of land ranges from level to steep. Much land
has been seriously eroded, some not so badly, and a little
not at all. All these differences in land directly affect the
capacity of the land to produce food just as lands differ
in physical properties and environment.

Any given piece of land is capable of doing only certain
things. When it is misused it is damaged. When it is
not used at all it does not contribute its full share. Hut
all land cannot be used and managed in the same way
any more than can all human beings. Land must he
used and treated according to its capabilities if it is to
last and continue to produce. This is the first principle of
conservation.

Water is essential to all life and the most useful water
is that which soaks into the ground where it falls. This
water replenishes the underground water that keeps
springs flowing. Where springs flow the year round, so
do the streams.

The most destructive water generally is that which falls
to the ground and immediately runs off. This is the
water that washes the soil away, causes Hoods, and clogs
streams, reservoirs, and harbors with mud and sand.

Man-induced soil erosion probably has caused more
changes in the physical features of the earth during the
last 8,000 years than all other factors combined. Most
of these changes have been for the worse. Misuse of the
land has changed verdant grasslands to semi deserts;
forested hills to barren rocks; and clear streams and lakes
to mud flats. Man’s disfiguration of the earth’s surface

has been increasing at an alarming rate during re-
years. In the United Stales we have done more dair
to our land in less than aoo years than any other pe<
have done in the same length of time; anti we did i
land better than many other people even started wit!

In view of man’s exploitation and waste of all of nan
resources, a practical conservation program is ahsolv
essential if we are to continue to inhabit the earth an
prosper. Such a program will actually increase pro
lion while still conserving and increasing the value ol
capital assets.

The following are suggestions for the integralioi
conservation into the study of physical geography.

Objectives

To study the effects of soil erosion and man’s inllu
upon the physical features of t ho earth.

To study water resources and their distribution over
earth.

To show tlu: relation between natural resources and iv
well-being in various regions.

Topics for Study or Discussion

Types of erosion: Geologic and accelerated (man-m
erosion.

Kinds of soil erosion: Wind erosion and water erosion.
Results of soil erosion.

Land classification:

Conservation surveys based on soil types, degre
slope of land, degree of erosion, and present
Land-capability maps: Delineation of areas of
suitable for the production of cultivated c
pasture and range, forests, and wildlife.
Eight land classes for soil and water conservation: Lit
lions in use and the specific conservation prat
required for each class.

The need for conservation of natural resources.

Man’s dependence upon natural resources.

Man’s inability to create natural resources.

Suggested Activities

Field trips to observe erosion damage and soil and v
conservation practices.

Participation in conservation projects.

Notes

ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY AND CONSERVATION

jslatnriil resource's arc tlu: source of all wealth, industry,
and commerce. Economic geography concerns itself with
irons where .resources are found or are produced and
processed, and with (he lanes of commerce between the
areas of production and those of consumption.

Most basic resources need to go through several stages
of processing or manufacture before reaching the ultimate
consumer. These steps in a sense are really stages of con-
sumption. The iron ore is consumed at the smelter and
steel mill. The steel is consumed at the factory. The
manufactured product: may he consumed all over the
world. All of these stages and processes create wealth.

In the case of many resources, the processing and manu-
facture are carried on at great distances from the point of
deposit or production. Other resources are brought into
the picture. 'Hie energy resources for processing may he
bulky, so that, it is cheaper to transport the basic resource
than the secondary resource. Labor may also he a factor.
So, Pittsburgh, ISirminghnm, and (lary became great
steel centers. Chicago, Kansas Oily, and St. Louis are
meat-packing centers. Detroit is the center of the auto-
mobile industry, and Akron, Ohio, a rubber center.

The transportation and distribution of resources and
their products give rise to commerce. 'Ibis is carried
on over water, railroads, highways, and through the air.
Each has developed into a gigantic industry. Along the
lanes of commerce, great cities have sprung up. These
arc located at strategic points, usually at good harbors,
on lakes and rivers, or at inland railroad junctions.

In the United Stales, industry and commerce have been
developed to a remarkable degree, and they together with
the professions employ a large majority of the population.

Not more than 25 percent of the population is engaged
in agriculture anil timber production. The number em-
ployed in extracting the minerals and metals is also in-
significant as compared to the number engaged in other
types of work.

Vet: all of this wealth and wealth production is de-
pendent upon the natural resources. The only way to
maintain our prosperity is to conserve our natural re-
sources. Unless we do conserve them, our economic
system will some day collapse as surely as a house built
without a solid foundation.

Objectives

To develop an understanding ol: the relation of the
geography of natural resources to the geography of
industry and commerce.

To study some effects of the exploitation and depletion
of resources on changes in centers of commerce and
industry.

To develop an appreciation of the need for conservation
in the community and Nation in order to maintain
. industrial and commercial activities.

To study some possible effects of conservation on future
development of industrial and commercial centers.

Topics for Study or Discussion

(In view of the close relation of the subject matter of
economic geography and economics, reference should
he made to the outline on Economics and Conser-
vation for conservation concepts and topics for study
or discussion.)

Notes

POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY AND CONSERVATION

Countries and their peoples have changed from the
time of the invasion of Canaan by the Israelites; through
invasions of' Persians into Europe, the Romans into west-
ern Europe, Asia, and Africa, the Huns into the land of
the Goths, and the Goths into the Roman Empire;
through the advances oi: the British into every continent,
the Germans, Italians, and Dutch into Africa, and the
Japanese into Korea and Manchuria. Important motives
were to relieve population pressure and to gain control of
desired natural resources. In this way vast empires were
built. Although the people of the invaded areas were
not always destroyed or replaced, they were made .sub-
servient to the stronger governments. In many cases their
resources were exploited.

The discovery of the Americas and their colonization
and development were definitely based on the desire of
European nations to acquire resources. The policy of the
United States is not to invade or take forceful possession of
other countries for the resources they would supply, but
to acquire by purchase any lands needed for this purpose.

The strength, wealth, and standard of living of any
nation depends not only upon the possession of natural
resources but also, and perhaps more importantly, upon
the development and use of the resources. Continued
prosperity depends upon wise use and conservation of the
resources. In the past, nations and civilizations have

collapsed am! disappeared through misuse and dcplcti
of their natural resources.. Today, many countries st
have undeveloped resources. The future of the wh<
world will depend upon proper conservation of t
remaining natural resources. .

Objectives

To show the effects of natural resources on political bom
arics of the past and present.

To show the effects of natural resources on populatit
government, and welfare of the people.

To show why the future welfare of the nations of t
world will depend upon conservation of natu
resources.

Topics for Study or Discussion

The story of Babylonia, Chaldea, Persia, and Syria.

Past civilizations of the Near East.

Fall of the Roman Empire and its causes.

The Mayan civilization in Central America.

A comparison of the standard of living in countries of I
modern world.

The present trend toward conservation of natural resour
throughout the world.'

Notes

10

ECONOMICS AND CONSERVATION

The whole economic process of man is based on natural
resources. All the food, clothing, machines, and mate-
riils that we use or trade originally came from nature’s
storehouse. The soil and the things it produces, the'
water resources of nature, and the minerals of the earth
furnish the wealth arid materials that support our com-
merce and industry.

Two basic conditions- to bring any nation or commu-
nity greatness and economic security are: (i) Access to
natural resources and (a) the ability to use them wisely.
Permanent prosperity must, he based on a wise program of
conservation and use because many of these resources are
irreplaceable and the others can he replaced only through
long and arduous ellort.

The economic life of man has developed in complexity
and scope in proportion to Ids mastery ol the use of natural
resources, l lis progress from individual sclf-sulhciency
as a savage to his specialization in today’s complicated
industry and world trade has been made step by step, as
he learned new and better uses for the resources of nature.

Throughout man’s economic history, commerce and
industry have declined or ceased to exist: in areas where
natural resources were overexploited to the point of de-
pletion. The sites of many former commercial or indus-
trial centers are now inhabited by nomadic tribes, not
much above the barter and handicraft stages in their
economic life, because the resources to support modern
commerce and industry are no longer there.

Even in the new land of America, we have many sad
sights of ghost towns, economic decadence, and im-
poverished people in communities that once were thriving
or booming. The fertile soil, the water, timber, fish,
wildlife, oil, or minerals that supported the communities
arc being depleted. The trend continues over most of the
world. But the number of human beings continues to
increase. We are faced with the prospect of having to
feed and supply the wants of more and more people from
the resources that remain.

Industrial cities and commercial centers are just as
dependent on natural resources as are the fishing, mining,
and lumbering villages and agricultural communities.
Wc cannot have modern industry without minerals, fuels,
and products of the soil. Wc cannot have commerce
without something to trade, sell, or ship. People cannot
even live, either in country or city, without food, clothing,
and shelter. And all of these things come from resources
that arc becoming scarcer each year. Populations con-

tinue to increase and the land is declining in productivity,
largely as a result of soil erosion. Many of the known
sources of critical materials are nearing exhaustion.

It is still the soil and the things it produces that are the
most critical. Soil fertility can be restored by man
through wise and skillful efforts, but these are likely to he
costly and time consuming. Infertile soil left to nature’s
ministrations is almost useless for generations, sometimes
for centuries.

Conservation does not mean hoarding. It means using
resources for maximum production while conserving the
capital assets for future use. The soil and water resources
of the earth will actually give greater current production
under a program of conservation than under a program
of exploitation. This has been proved. ®

Conservation must he a part of any sound economic
program in this age of increasing populations and de-
creasing resources. Following are some objectives and
topics for study or discussion that may serve as a guide for
integrating conservation into the study of economics.

Objectives

To develop an understanding of the relation between
natural resources and the economic processes of man.
To study some of the economic benefits of conservation.
To study the effects of natural resources, and of resource
exploitation upon the economic development of
civilized man.

To develop an understanding that an economy of ex-
ploitation causes waste and destroys wealth.

To develop an appreciation of the need for a compre-
hensive program of conservation in order to assure
economic security for the community, State, Nation,
and the world.

Topics for Study or Discussion

The dependence of industry and commerce on natural
resources.

The relation of man’s use of resources to the development
of industry and commerce.

The decline of industry and commerce in some nations
and communities owing to the depletion of natural
resources.

The need for conservation to assure future economic
strength.

Some economic benefits from conservation.

Notes

HISTORY AND CONSERVATION

Natural resources and their exploitation or conserva-
tion have played a leading part in shaping the history of
mankind. The entire history of man; the development
of his arts and sciences; his progress from savagery to
civilization; his travels, explorations, and discoveries; his
standard of living and political systems; and sometimes
even his ability to exist have been shaped to a great extent
by the natural resources available to him and his need for
additional resources.

There is much evidence to indicate that past civilizations
have developed in areas where resources were sufficient to
permit the people to make a living and still have some
leisure time to devote to the arts and sciences. There is
evidence, also, that these civilizations expanded and sur-
vived largely in proportion to their natural resources and
the care taken of them. The set-hacks in civilization have
occurred usually when and where resources were exploited
and exhausted.

The United States has become the richest and one of
the most powerful nations in world history partly be-
cause we have discovered, developed, and exploited the
vast natural resources that were built up by nature before
this country was settled by the white man. We thought
we could afford to exploit and waste these resources during
the period of settlement and development because they
seemed abundant. Now wc arc realizing that we have
exploited our natural resources more rapidly anti de-
pleted them faster than have any other people in history.

Wc can no longer afford the luxury of waste. We must
begin to conserve our natural resources as wc use them if
wc are to preserve our national integrity and our demo-
cratic way of life.

The conservation of soil, water, grassland, forests, min-
erals, and wildlife is not something that should interest
only farmers, ranchers, lumbermen, miners, and sports-
men. Our philosophy with respect to these things is go-
ing to determine the future history of this Nation. House-
wives, merchants, laborers, stockbrokers, and school chil-
dren must all be concerned with these resources. These
arc the things on which wc live and trade.

A realistic and objective course in history will covet
the effects that natural resources and their exploitation have
had on important historical events and trends.

Following are some objectives and topics for study o r
discussion that may serve as a guide in the integration
of the conservation of natural resources into the study of
history.

Objectives

To study the history of resource exploitation in ancient
times.

To study the effects of natural resources on historical
trends and events.

To study the history of conservation in both ancient and
modern limes.

To study the effects of exploitation and waste of natural
resources in the United Slates.

To determine the necessity for the conservation of natural
resources of the United States.

Topics for Study or Discussion

The effects of abundance or scarcity of natural resource'
on the history of ancient ant! modern peoples.

The relation between the exploitation ami depletion ol
natural resources and the decline or fall of states anil
civilizations of the past.

Wars that were fought primarily for the control of natural
resources.

The relation of natural resources and their devclopmciv
to the wealth and strength of communities, States
and nations.

The effects of natural resources on the wealth and powci
of the United Stales.

The history of conservation in ancient and modern times;

use of conservation practices by ancient peoples.

The necessity for the conservation and wise use of the
natural resources of the United States.

The United States soil and water conservation program;
its spread in the United Stales and its effect on other
nations of the world today.

Notes

12

( .OVhKIN M I'.N 1 A NO ( X )NSf iRV ATION

Conscj of n;il m ;il resources lias hem receiving
, ||K J mine ;it Kill ion I'mhii governments during rr
IU ° rL '•irs In I :t«'l , practii : 1 1 1 y nil pi ngn ssi vc n:i l inns nl
^.dhave accepted i (His.iv.it ion as a maj ... rr.spnnsi
| h y () f government. Many >*l these fctint i i.-s luvr sent
their young agi iruliurisf. to this muntry to Mmly our
methods or combating

In the United Stales we have brderal agencies that
Icvote their ]>rinei|>a! elluil.s In the enir.erv.u ion ..I such
plural resources as soil and water, minerals, lon-sls, and
ivildlilV, Most States have conservation mniiuissinus or
their equivalent to deal with the problem. Many cities
awl other local gnver ntneitlal units have h.im.l it tieees
vil y lo adopt measures to deal with spr. ihe i ..user valiun
moblems. AH -|< s Stales have ena.te.l laws nulhon/ing
the creation of soil conservation disliim.. I’.y iw,>. more
than -V|00 Slieli districts had hern established as politiral
subdivisions of the Stales. Similni laws have hern passed
ill Alaska, I lawaii, Puerto Kieo, and the Virgin Islands.

Oovernmeitls in general have entered tin- In Id ul tun
syrvation as a means of sell j »i<v.et valion. I 'm innately,
statesmen have hern farsighted enough to see that eon
serration is not merely desirable lull is absolutely essential
in this age of inn-rasing populations and diminishing
resources.

During the early history id' this eomitry, the gnver mnrnt
encouraged or permitted exploitation in older to get tin-
land settled and the resemrees developed. We thought we
could afford an economy ol exploitation heeau-.r we were
so rich in resourees. We know now that we cannot
allord to waste our resources. Poor s. hunts and ( lunches,
poorly paid civil servants, rundown government buildings,
and decadent institutions ol all types are the result ul
serious depletion ol the natural resources.

A slaled purpose of tin- conservation laws emit led by our
Federal, State, and local governments is “to provide lor
the public health, safety, and weliate." t hit State con
servation laws permit the people ol the various States to
adopt such conservation measures as they deem necessary.
Some countries have slat rites that compel individuals lo use
and manage their privately owned hu m lands itr specified
ways. It is ipteslionahle whether such laws will ever In-
adopted by the people of the United Stales in view ol the
progress luring made in this country toward conservation
on a voluntary basis.

Many conservation problems cannot he solved by indi-
viduals, working alone. Wind and water, Hood,
drought and lire, migrating beasts, birds, and invading
insects do not recognize man made boundaries. The
damages caused by t lie.se agents often extend across prop-
erty lines and their prevention and remedy become the.
concern of government.

Any objective study ol civil government should be con-
cerned with those government agencies and laws devoted
to the conservation of natural resources. It should leach
something of how and why the government encourages
and regulates conservation activities.

hollowing are some objectives and topics for study or
discussion that may serve as a guide for the integration of
conservation into the study of civil government,

Objectives

To point out the responsibility of government in the
conservation of natural resources.

'I'o bring about an appreciation of the effects upon gov-
ernment ol the waste or conservation of natural
resources.

I o promote a realization ol ilu- need lor governmental co-
ordination of conservation efforts.

To study some governmental activities in the conservation
of natural resources.

Topics for Study or Discussion

Tlu- responsibility of government, for the conservation of
natural resources.

The el feds of I lu- waste or conservation of natural resources
on kinds ol governments, past and present.

Why the government must assume the leadership in di-
recting the efforts of the people in the conserva-
tion of natural resources.

Some governmental activities in the conservation of
natural resources.

bederal government activities and agencies.

State government's part in the conservation program.
Some local government units and their conservation
activities.

Suggested Activities

Obtain and study a copy of your Slate Soil Conservation
District Act. ‘

bind mil how many soil conservation districts there arc in
your Slate, and the area in the districts,
borate the soil ronser valion district ollicc and Soil Conser-
vation Service headquarters in your soil conservation
district.

List l-Vdcral and Slate conservation agencies in your Stale
and study their functions.

Study the main provisions of your Stale and community
laws that pertain to the water, game, fish, forest, and
range resources.

Notes

SOCIAL SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION

The social institutions of man are largely a product of
his environment. An advanced civilization and well-
developed society flourish where there is economic security.
This requires an abundance of natural resources and their
proper development. If these resources are wasted, the
civilization and society will probably decline and can even
perish. The world abounds with examples of poverty-
stricken people and backward civilizations, due solely to
exploitation and destruction of the resources that nature
left for man’s endowment.

Even in America wc have numerous ghost towns,
dilapidated and unused schools and churches,' and social
groups of a primitive character in areas where natural
resources have been exhausted. In modern society, we
find good schools and churches, playgrounds aiul parks,
progressive governments and civic clubs, and an advanced
society only in areas that can draw upon an abundance ol
resources for their support. Where soil erosion has
progressed to a critical stage; where forests and grasslands
have been denuded and left to wash away; or where oil
and other mineral resources have been wasted, there arc
poor people and decadent institutions.

In our complex society today, many who live in cities
unconsciously feel themselves independent of natural re-
sources. This cannot continue. The cities themselves arc
the byproduct of the fertile soil and other natural resources
that produce food, fiber, and the materials for industry,
commerce, and recreation.

The conservation of natural resources is a responsibility
of all society. Only through conservation can we save
the resources necessary to maintain the elaborate and
progressive society that we have built tip in America.

Conservation is a problem that cannot be solved by one
individual. In most instances it requires group action.
It is a social problem. In the conservation of natural
resources, what benefits an individual also benefits the
society of which he is a part.

This problem of conservation is so important to coining
generations that it must not be ignored in any study of
social science or social problems. Following are some
objectives and topics for study and discussion that may
serve as a guide to the teacher who wishes to inject con-
servation concepts into the study of social sciences.

Objectives

To study the effects of the wise use or misuse of natural
resources on social institutions, past and present.

To develop an appreciation of the need for conservation
in order to preserve our way of life.

To study some social institutions that may help solve the
problem of conservation.

Topics for Study or Discussion

The relation between natural resources and social
institutions.

Some effects of natural resources on the development of
social institutions.

Some effects of resource waste on society and social
institutions.

Conservation as a responsibility of society.

Some things that social groups can do toward conserva-
tion.

Suggested Activities

List the social institutions of: the community which ii
fiuence or are influenced by soil and water conservi
lion.

Determine the conservation program of your State an
local garden clubs and other women’s organization

List the merit-badge projects and activities of the Ho
Scouts and Girl Scouts that can he classed ,1
conservation.

Study the conservation activities of the religious institi
dons of the community, including participation i
Soil Sunday or Conservation Week, and the result
of such activities with respect to community welfart

List the natural resources that make your homes, school:
churches, parks, and other public places more plcasan
and more useful.

Let the class participate in tree planting and other con
servation practices.

Notes

DOMESTIC SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION

Soil and water conservation should In: ol interest to
students of domestic science because ol its relation to the
home and bet ter living. Any home will he benefited by
soil an<l water conservation because ol the resultant in-
creased production of food and liber and the improved
quality of these products.

Soil depletion may have serious effects on human nutri-
tion. Depleted soils do not produce healthy plants.
Plants suffering from mineral deficiencies do not nourish
healthy animals. Deficient plants and undernourished
animals do not support people in health.

Water must he free from pollution and contamination
for drinking, cooking, ami other domestic uses. Naturally
grown foods will not contain all ol the mineral elements
required by the normal human hotly unless these elements
are present in the soil in which the loot I plants are pro-
duced. Animals and plants must depend upon the soil
for their mineral ingredients.

Some soils never did contain all the minerals necessary
to make a soil fertile. Other soils have had their fertility
depleted through erosion, leaching, and exhaustion by
continuous cropping and lack of fertilization. In addi-
tion to controlling erosion, a soil conservation program
aims at maintaining and building soil fertility. When
necessary, the mineral elements are added to the soil in
lime and commercial fertilizers. Soil fertility is further
enhanced by liberal growing of legumes. This results in
higher protein content of loods.

Objectives

To show that soil depletion affects the nutritional value
of plants grown in the soil.

To show that a deficiency of minerals in the soil may
cause disease in plants, animals, and man.

To show that the conservation of natural resources in-
creases the supply of food, fiber, and other products,
improves their quality, and makes for a higher stand-
ard of living for the entire population.

Topics for Study or Discussion

Soil erosion and its effect on soil fertility and on the
available plant food in the soil.

Soil erosion and its effect on water resources.

Soil fertility and its relation to nutrition (animal and
human).

Some effects of soil depletion on human nutrition.

Effects of soil erosion on available plant food in the
soil.

Effects of mineral deficiencies in the soil on the min-
eral content of plants grown on it.

The relation of mineral deficiencies in plants to some
nutritional diseases of animals.

Some effects of mineral deficiencies in plants and
undernourishment of animals on human nu-
trition.

Distribution of nutritive elements in plants and animal
carcasses.

Misuse and waste of nutritional elements in food through
custom and habits.

Other resources in relation to domestic science and their
dependence upon soil and water.

Domestic science and the need for conservation of all
natural resources.

(For other topics, see the section on “Hygiene and

Conservation.”)

Notes

HYGIENE AND CONSERVATION

Soil erosion, stream pollution, silting of reservoirs, and
other exploitative uses of natural resources may have
l'ar-reaching effects on human health apart from those
immediately involved in body nutrition.

Nature usually provides a healthful environment for
the higher animals. But experience has shown that man,
through lack of full knowledge of that environment or
through force of circumstances, is likely to upset the nat-
ural balance. The result, too often, is waste, filth, and
an unhealthy community.

True conservation eliminates many of the health haz-
ards brought on by man’s exploitation of nature. By wise
use of resources it is possible to restore somewhat of a
balance in nature and still get the best use from the re-
sources. This usually results in a cleaner, healthier com-
munity and a more prosperous and better fed people.

The teacher of hygiene should not ignore the conser-
vation factor in the study of individual and community
health. Following are some objectives and topics for
study or discussion that may serve as a guide in pointing
up conservation concepts in the study of hygiene.

Objectives

To show the relation between resource exploitation and
human health.

To study the effects of soil erosion, deforestation, stream
pollution, and silting on human health.

To show that an effective conservation program would
alleviate most of the health hazards caused from ex-
ploitation of natural resources.

Topics for Study or Discussion

Some health hazards resulting from exploitation of nat-
ural resources.

Mud-filled lakes, poorly drained farm land, and

swamped land as breeding places for mosquito
ami oilier harmful pests.

The pollution and silting of streams and reservoir
ns a threat to city water supplies.

Water famines in cities as a result of reservoirs ht
coming filled with silt.

The destruction of beneficial species of wildlife ^
prey on insects, rodents, and other species tha
are a threat to human health.

Conservation practices to eliminate health hazards result
ing from exploitation of natural resources.
Elimination of breeding places lor mosquitoes.
Erosion-control practices.

Safe sewage disposal by cities.

Protection of beneficial wildlife.

Flood control.

Protection of forests from fire.

Suggested Activities

Study the water supply and sewage disposal of a farm o
country home from the standpoint of health. Sug
gest practical improvements that are needed.

Study the mosquito-breeding places in the community am
suggest practical controls. Study the cost of perms
nent or seasonal control.

Visit the city water-purification and sewage-disposal sy
terns and determine their effectiveness.

Study the source of the city water supply and its purity
Visit local markets and grocery stores and study the stoi
age facilities and condition of perishable foods.
Study the packaging of food from the standpoint c
health.

Visit dairy barns and dairy centers to study the sanitar
conditions.

Visit canneries and other food-processing plains to stud
the quality of the product and sanitary conditions,

Notes

ENGLISH AND PUBLIC SPEAKING ON CONSERVATION

r nscrvation is a vital subject lo all American school
. n _ Ic is something concrete anil interesting about
j -h students of English and public speaking can write
, R s anc | make speeches. There is a wealth of recent
!l1 ^ eSC ellent literature on this suhjecl:. 1'he teacher of
p n lisli or public speaking should be able to arouse con-
'dcrible interest in conservation without much effort.
There -is no i )cLlc, ‘ wa V 10 teach conservation than hy
having students do their own research and write or talk
ibout vvhat they find out. Following arc some objectives
' c j suggested activities that teachers of English and
public speaking may use.

Objectives

fo study some of the excellent literature that has been
written about natural resources and their conservation,
fo create nil interest in the conservation of natural re-
sources as an economic ami social problem that affects
the lives of all world citizens today.
f 0 tench some conservation concepts by having students
write about and discuss this subject.

Suggested Activities

Vrite themes and make speeches on various phases of
conservation. Suitable subjects for themes and
speeches include the following:

Soil Erosion — A National Menace.

What Soil Erosion Has Done to Our Community.

Our Land Tomorrow.

Ghost Towns That 1 Know.

Natural Resources — A Heritage for Future Genera-
tions.

Poverty or Conservation.

Lost Lakes — Filled with Soil.

Plant Factories — The Key to Life.

How Wildlife Helps the Farmer.

Our Friends- — Birds and Animals of This Com-
munity.

Trees on Our Farm.

How Long Will Our Forests Last?

Fire — Friend or Foe.

Conservation in Ollier Countries.

Why People of Our City Should be Interested in
Conservation.

Debates about current, controversial policies and problems
on conservation. Suitable questions for debate
include:

Resolved: That a farmer has the right to do as he
pleases in the use of the land he owns.

Resolved: That the government should regulate cut-
ting in all privately owned forests.

Resolved: That a soil conservation district be created
in community (or county).

Resolved: That a soil conservation district be given
supervision of all government conservation activi-
ties within the district.

Resolved: 'That hunting and fishing regulations be
controlled by the Slate conservation commission
rather than by the State legislature.

Notes

17

ART AND CONSERVATION

The conservation of natural resources provides a secure
foundation for the development of interest in the arts from
both the artistic and material standpoints. Nature, in its
innate form and as modified by man’s handiwork, has
always been a good subject for art studies. Cultural pur-
suits, in turn, can come only after the fundamental needs
for food, clothing, and shelter have been met. With fer-
tile soil and plentiful water, for instance, one man can
produce food and fiber for many men, and thus release
them for other occupations. A nation rich in natural
resources can afford such community projects as libraries,
symphony orchestras, art schools, and exhibits.

It docs not require a trained eye to see that soil erosion
leaves ugliness in its wake and that soil and water conser-
vation restore the landscape to beauty. Rundown people
living in rundown houses on rundown land may inspire
the artist hut the people are loo concerned with hare
existence to he inspired by artistic creations.

Art departments have an unusual opportunity to de-
velop youthful and adult consciousness in regard to soil
erosion and other forces imperiling natural resources.
The graphic portrayal of conservation practices and of
their effects upon the land and people can bring the
•subject to the attention of the students as well as to those
who view the exhibits of their work.

Objectives

To create conservation consciousness through study and
observation of the exploitation of natural resources,
and the use of this subject matter for art exercises and
activities.

To develop active interest in the conservation of natural
resources by using conservation practices as subject
matter in art classes.

To extend conservation interest to the whole community
through the activities and products of the ail class.

Suggested Activities

Study soil erosion, forest and wildlife exploitation, stream
pollution, floods, etc., as well as conservation practices
already in use, through literature and visual aids.
Take field trips to study exploitation and damage, as well
as effective conservation practices of the various re-
sources.

Prepare posters and other illustrative materials on con-
servation for classroom decoration, window dis-

plays

natuti

special occasions, and visual material
lor use by community organizations sponsor®
conservation.

Suggested subjects for art activities portraying Was|(
exploitation, and mismanagement of

resources:

Soil erosion: soil washing,

Muddy streams, siltaiioti,
streamhank cutting,

walerholes.

Ahandone 1 1 I arm lands and
families, waste lands,

Forest lues, thin stand

Sill deposits, dust storms
floods and flood damag;
di-y streams, and <j r

mgs, poveriy-sirirta
ami neglected livestock.

t rcr

unfit lor lumber, etc
(mass and marshland fires, wildlife destruction.
Strip mining and spoil piles of earth and rock.

Suggested subjects lor art activities portraying conserve
lion and beneficial result!;:

Contour plowing, planting;, and construction,
(fully and roadbank stabilization with plantings t :
shrubs and other vegetation, and tree planting e,
spoil banks of strip mines. I

Clear streams, streamhank, s protected by trees arf
other vegetation, fishing and bathing scenes,
Farm ponds and water boles; ponds fenced again
livestock; banks planted to trees and shrill
water trough or tank outside of fence with cniijj
drinking; swimming, fishing, and boating seen!
Tree-planting scenes, plantations of various-ag/
trees, and plantations fenced against livestock,
Desirable woodland scenes, woodlands fenced agnii
livestock, woodland borders of shrubs for wil
life food ami cover, lire lighting and fire lam
woodland improvement and managemc
scenes— thinning, and pruning;.

Song and game bin Is, bird bouses, feeding static:
and shelters; hedges planted for food and slteltt
living fences of muliillora rose; fence rotvsi
trees and shrubs managed for food and slteltt
travel lanes lor game birds and animals; vej
taled field borders between woodland and cull
valed land.

Came and fur-bearing animals in familiar poses mj
appropriate locations, feeding and drinking, jj
Scenes portraying the benefits of conservation onil!
farm and in the community; improved building
schools, churches, highways, factories, and ok!
industries. i?

Notes

MATHEMATICS IN CONSERVATION

Mathematics in some degree is commonly involved in
the science of conservation. Why not use the soil, forest,
water, minerals, and wildlife, and their conservation, for
exercises in arithmetic and algebra? These are as familiar
as the traditional eggs and apples, and they involve the
same mathematical principles and processes.

Conservation of natural resources is of concern to the
welfare of any community. Teachers are urged to give
instruction in conservation through integration with every
school subject, and arithmetic and algebra arc no
exception.

Objectives

To create an interest in conservation by showing some of
the results of exploitation anti conservation.

To teach some facts about resources and their conservation
through their presentation in arithmetic and algebra
exercises.

Suggested Activities

Let students solve problems dealing with the use and
conservation of natural resources. .Following are a
few sample problems that bring out some points in
the conservation program:

Arithmetic

1. One rain washed 4 tons of soil per acre off a 20-acrc
cornfield planted in straight rows uphill and down-
hill. On a nearby 20-acre field where corn was
planted in level rows around the lull, only one-half
ton of soil per acre was lost. How much more soil
was lost from the straight-row field?

2. Farmer Brown raised 82 bushels of corn an acre in a
30-acre field planted cm the contour. His neighbor,
Jones, who planted his corn the old way (uphill and
downhill), had 35 acres of corn which produced only
70 bushels an acre. Which one had more corn?
How much more?

3. A farmer cut 30 hoards 1 inch thick from one white
oak tree; 12 of them were 1 foot wide and 10 feet
long, and the other 18 were 8 inches wide and 6
feet long. How many hoard feet of lumber did the
tree produce? (One board foot is 1 foot square and
1 inch thick.)

4 * Three fields on one farm needed limestone, according
to soil tests. The 20-acre field needed 3 tons per acre,
the 15-acre field 2 tons per acre, and the 10-acre
field 4 tons per acre. How much limestone was
needed for all three fields?

3. Soil is being washed into a lake at an average rate of
40 acrc-fcct a year. The lake averages 20 feet deep
over 50 acres. How soon will the lake he filled with
soil?

6. Assuming that the soil washed into the lake, in
problem 5, was removed by sheet erosion at a uniform
rate from 3,000 acres of farm land in the watershed
of the lake; how long will it be before this land will
lose 6 inches of topsoil?

7* An inch of topsoil weighs 140 tons per acre. How
many tons arc in a 40-acre field where the topsoil is
10 inches deep?

8. A soldier eats 4 pounds of meat each week. If one
farm produces 10 tons of meat in a year, how many
soldiers will it feed for 1 week?

9. When the Mississippi River is at flood stage, it carries
enough soil past Vicksburg, Miss., every minute to
cover 40 acres 7 inches deep. How many acres would
it cover at the same depth with soil that flows by in
1 day?

10. If ihc average weight of the dry topsoil on a 40-acre
field is 87 pounds per cubic foot and the average
depth of the topsoil on the field is 7 inches, how
many tons of dry topsoil arc on the field? (A11 acre
covers an area of 43,560 square feet.)

11. II: 6 percent of the average dry topsoil in problem 10
consists of organic matter and 5 percent of the organic
matter consists of nitrogen, how many pounds of
nitrogen arc in the organic matter of the topsoil of
the 40-acre field? How much would this nitrogen
cost if purchased in commercial fertilizer at a price
of 27 cents per pound?

12. If 20 acres of the field in problems 10 and 11 are
farmed with rows running up and down the hill and
lose an average of 20 tons of soil per acre each year,
and if the other 20 acres are terraced and farmed with
rows running on the contour and lose only one-half
toil of soil per acre each year, what will be the differ-
ence in the commercial value of the nitrogen lost in
the organic matter from the two 20-acre fields in
5 years?

13. If the fine sandy loam topsoil on a 30-acre field
weighs 90 pounds per cubic fool, and 550 tons of
topsoil arc washed off the field each year by sheet
erosion, how long will it take for the top 3 inches of
the soil to be removed?

14. When the Mississippi River is at flood stage it carries
40,000 tons of soil past Vicksburg, Miss., every minute.
Assuming that 75 percent of this soil is topsoil washed
from upland farms and that the average dry weight
of the soil is 85 pounds per cubic foot, how many
acres of upland wit! be washed off to furnish the soil
carried by Vicksburg in 24 hours if each acre lost 1
inch of topsoil?

15. A 30-acre field of very fine sandy loam loses through
sheet erosion an average of 18 tons of topsoil per
acre per year for 5 years. The topsoil is 6.5 percent
humus, and 5.2 percent of the humus is nitrogen.
How many pounds of nitrogen are lost in the organic
matter of the topsoil during the 5 years?

16. The farmer attempted to replace the nitrogen by
spreading barnyard manure on the field in problem
15. He hauled iJd tons of manure per load that
contained 0.7 percent nitrogen; how many loads did

. he have to haul to replace the nitrogen lost through
erosion in 5 years?

19

ij. Farmer Brown planted 40 acres of corn and 40 acres
of oats In square fields with rows running uphill and
downhill. He made 50 bushels of corn and 40
bushels of oats per acre. His neighbor planted 25
acres of corn, 25 acres of oats, and 30 acres of red
clover in contour strips on a terraced field and made
65 bushels of corn, 50 bushels of oats, and 2/1 tons
of clover hay per acre. Assuming prices for the crops
were 90 cents per bushel for corn, 65 cents per bushel
for oats, and $15 per ton for clover hay, which
fanner received the most for his crops? How much?

Algebra

1. Field A, with rows up and down the hill, loses 25
times as much topsoil per acre per year by sheet
erosion as does field B with contour strip crops. But
if field B lost 33 tons per acre per year more than it
now loses, it would lose 3 limes as much as A. How
much topsoil is washed from each field per acre each
year?

2. The topsoil on field A is 2 times as deep as on field
B, but field A is farmed with straight rows up and
clown the hill whereas field B is terraced and farmed
on the contour. Field A loses '/I'd of its topsoil each
year from sheet erosion, which is ir times as much
as field B loses. Field B loses '/no of its topsoil each
year. How deep is the topsoil on each field and

how many years will it be before tbe amount of ton
soil remaining on tbe fields will be tbe same?

3. Before tbe conservation farming practices we«

started on a farm, it produced an income of § I0
acre from the cropland ami $3 per acre from th*
pasture land, and the total income was §1 02 .
After soil and water conservation practices had been
established, tbe cropland produced an income of
per acre and the pasture land produced $10 per acre
the total income being per year. What was

the total acreage in crops and pasture?

4. A hawk ate 3 * mice and 4 rabbits for every chicken
he ate. b'.arli chicken weighed iP times as much
as each mouse and one hall as much as each rabbit
The total weight of tbe rabbits and mice he ate was
10 times as much as the weight of the chickens. How
many pounds of chickens did he cat ?

5. .Soil from an overgrazed grassland watershed washes
into lake A at 12 limes the rate that soil washes into
lake H which has a well managed range on its water
sheik Lake A will fill up with sill in 2.0 years?!
the present rale. Lake B now holds three-fourth
as much water as lake A. I low long will it
before both lakes hold the same quantity of water!
Mmv long before lake B will be completely fill<j
with sill?

Notes

i— IWIIMI , L*l

SI 1 OF WORK AND
Objectives

fo create ail interest in conservation projects.

To teacli methods ol making some special conservation
equipment and slniclures in the shop oral. home.

Suggested Activities

Complete one or more projects in the making of articles
needed lor conservation work.

Build bird houses, Bird baths, and homes for other
wildlife.

Relocate fences on the contour on the home farm.
Construct one ol: several types ol: home-made farm
levels.

CONSERVATION

Ihiiid a home-made V-drag for terrace construction.

Cast concrete tile for subirrigating the farm garden.

PmiUl forms for casting concrete water trough for
use below farm-pond dam.

Make a soil auger to use in determining depth of soil.

Make soil-profile monoliths.

Construct a device for bulk inoculation of leiuime
seed.

Ihiiid a drag for leveling land.

Build a stalk cutter to use in mulching operations.

Adapt a drill to plant grass seed.

Install a fertilizer attachment on a drill for planting
legume and grass seed.

Adjust a combine and adapt reel bats for grass- and
legume-seed harvesting.

Build a vibrating seed scalper.

Notes

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U, S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 10EJ